1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a guide apparatus for physically aligning a trailer with a tow-ball of a hitch of a vehicle, and more particularly, to a trailer hitch guide configured for temporary installation around a tow-ball of a hitch without requiring modification to the hitch or removal of the tow-ball for installation, the guide including a universal guiding portion and a mounting base that each define corresponding adjustment features to ensure proper interconnection between the two while accommodating a variety of hitch types.
2. Background of the Invention
It is a common problem for a driver of a vehicle to back the trailer hitch of a vehicle into proper alignment with a trailer to be loaded thereon without practice, the help of a spotter, or having to repeatedly stop the vehicle, exit and visually check the alignment progress. While aligning any type of trailer can be challenging, achieving proper alignment is more difficult when the trailer is unloaded and/or includes a load thereon that is not visible to the driver for guiding purposes. While the misalignment of the hitch and trailer can easily be corrected when dealing with light loads that can be manipulated by hand, it may not be possible to manipulate a heavily loaded trailer by hand.
Various devices have been developed to aid a driver in aligning a hitch with a trailer, such as visual, audible and physical guides. With respect to visual guides, these types of guides generally include long, vertically extending markers or “feelers” provided on at least one of the hitch and trailer to provide a visual indication of satisfactory alignment to the driver. While these devices may function well in certain applications, their use is limited to applications in which adequate room is provided to effectively position the device in a way that it can be seen and utilized by the driver. Further, while guiding alignment, visual devices do not offer physical protection to the vehicle, hitch or trailer in the event of misalignments. Other types of guiding devices include those that must be permanently installed on a hitch and those that require tools for installation. While several of these types of devices provide physical protection against misalignments, their requirement of tools and modification to the hitch for installation results in a “permanent” installation.
Accordingly, to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art devices, the present invention provides a protective-type hitch guide configured to be temporarily installed on a hitch during loading without the need for modifying the hitch or removing the tow-ball. The trailer hitch guide provided herein is further advantageous in that it universal to accommodate a variety of hitch types and tow-ball configurations through adjustability between its guiding portion and base.